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NOSM saturday March 28th interview experience?


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I had an excrement-load of fun, i thought it was great once i got in the first room. I thought i was going to barf before, but during was relaxing and flowing.

 

Before hand i prepared about 100 scenarios based on ethics and NOSM-website content...every question they asked i had prepared an answer for...i'm certainly glad i had prepared that.

 

Anyone else have a similar experience?

 

Smarttit,

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Did you need to address the panel before answering the question? Or just get directly into answers? And, did you guys decide to repeat the question in your answer?

 

Also, how many interviewers per panel? From the reading it seems like it's just one?

 

And, they know nothing about your app right? So they just see your name tag or something?! lol

 

 

Thanks

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Did you need to address the panel before answering the question? Or just get directly into answers? And, did you guys decide to repeat the question in your answer?

 

Also, how many interviewers per panel? From the reading it seems like it's just one?

 

And, they know nothing about your app right? So they just see your name tag or something?! lol

 

 

Thanks

 

A) NO panel! Its MMI! So that means 10 individuals individually interview you in 10 separate rooms.

B) I shook their hand when I entered the room, introduced myself, and then began my answer. The question is posted on the door and you have 2 minutes to read it and think of an answer. Then you enter and have 8 minutes with the interviewer.

C) They no nothing about your application or who you are besides what you tell them (I guess unless they were theoretically the ones who scored your sketch and question, I wonder if that is a possiblity?). You given them a sticker with your name on it, but you don't have a name tag.

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I don't understand how you could have prepared answers for all the questions we received... I thought most of them were very hard to predict.

 

I found them quite simple based on my background, life experience and education. If you have not studied much bioethics among other things you will miss the "red herring" in each of the questions. I started with over two hundred bioethical scenarios of which i boiled down. Then i searched the NOSM's website, prepared questions based on the info in there.

 

"where did you find the 100 scenarios"

 

Various websites.

 

"Its not always about having what you think are the right answers, but about how you present yourself during the interview. Often, there is no obvious right answer."

 

In some cases, but with the ethical ones there is a "most" correct ;-)

 

guest001, there is no panel but an objective interviewer who may be instructed to interact with you in a particular way. For example, they may challenge your answer...personality..ideas...assertions...whatever it may be. So make sure your answers are direct, succinct...and you can back up what you say...don't bullpoop.

 

Hope i have helped.

 

Dumbtit,

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Allow me to rephrase.

 

In ethics there is always a "more correct" answer.

 

"educated doctors" of course not, but intelligent premedical students, yes. Or i at least i hope so. :D

 

As an interviewer and application reviewer I can tell you directly THERE IS NO CORRECT ANSWER. We aren't expecting already educated doctors to show up to these interviews, just potential medical students.
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Again, there is hardly a 'most correct' answer.

You can give me your theorized 'best' answer, and I could provide a different answer that would score just as well. It isn't what you answer, it's how you answer it, and how you back it up. In the ethical questions, they are looking for critical thinking skills, and effective communication skills. You have to communicate your thought process and rationale for stating your opinion on the matter.

 

Now, mind you, there are Canadian standards in biomedical ethics... So you'd want to be careful not to say that you'd do something that would break the law... but other than that, they aren't looking for qualified doctors--just good potential doctors.

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I'll rephrase again. Maybe I'm not being clear with my point.

 

"most correct" ....Putting the quotations implies variance...if i may do so. That is "most correct" is up for interpretation. Anyone who has studied ethics knows that one persons point of view varies from another based on their functional background. However, when there is an established norm as it may pertain to a regulatory body or college of administration the ethics of the individual, that is, his or her actions must meet the expectations of that profession or organization...in such cases of medical doctors we would follow medical ethics, in business we would use business ethics, in sports we would use sports ethics or whatever-ethics, ....so in the case of an MMI ethical scenario of any variable type, the ethics introduced, whether medical, business or otherwise will always have a "more correct" answer as it pertains to the individual, time, place, circumstances...further, as you pointed out you must back up your assertions. To do so requires a step wise reflection or reasoning based on established personal rules, beliefs, values...or otherwise...ethics.

 

"Again, there is hardly a 'most correct' answer."..."Now, mind you, there are Canadian standards in biomedical ethics... So you'd want to be careful not to say that you'd do something that would break the law...".....so there is a more correct (literal) answer then? Sorry, i just had to throw that back as you contradict yourself...or i misunderstood.

 

Just the same this is a good discussion.

 

Dumbtit,

 

 

Again, there is hardly a 'most correct' answer.

You can give me your theorized 'best' answer, and I could provide a different answer that would score just as well. It isn't what you answer, it's how you answer it, and how you back it up. In the ethical questions, they are looking for critical thinking skills, and effective communication skills. You have to communicate your thought process and rationale for stating your opinion on the matter.

 

Now, mind you, there are Canadian standards in biomedical ethics... So you'd want to be careful not to say that you'd do something that would break the law... but other than that, they aren't looking for qualified doctors--just good potential doctors.

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Thanks for the input guys!

 

I guess using 'panel' was the wrong word. I was thinking that there's one person sitting behind a 'panel' while you step in to answer it.

 

I always thought it was more of them listening to you continuously ramble for 8 min about the question, and not them 'discussing' anything with you, or refuting your ideas?

 

So, introduce ourselves and then fire away at the question?

 

Sometimes, I'd rather do the panel. Although first impressions will get you hard for those!!

 

sigh, stressful.

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I've interviewed students a number of times in the past. The interviewers are provided with a few standardized follow-up questions that they ask to help direct your response. This is done to keep the questions consistent from one circuit to the next.

 

I've never heard any interviewers be instructed to be directly challenging of your response or argumentative or hostile in any way. If you have an experience like that, you may want to discuss it with the admissions department because that interviewer is likely not following the requested format and it may be reflected in your scores on that station.

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Sadly,

 

1) nope and

2) nope

 

I was in a hallway of offices, and most didn't have clocks. Honestly, though, even if I'd worn a watch, I wouldn't have glanced at it, and you pretty quickly got a sense of the 8 mins. Of course, practicing before-hand with the same timeline really helped.

 

Good luck!

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I'll rephrase again. Maybe I'm not being clear with my point.

 

"most correct" ....Putting the quotations implies variance...if i may do so. That is "most correct" is up for interpretation. Anyone who has studied ethics knows that one persons point of view varies from another based on their functional background. However, when there is an established norm as it may pertain to a regulatory body or college of administration the ethics of the individual, that is, his or her actions must meet the expectations of that profession or organization...in such cases of medical doctors we would follow medical ethics, in business we would use business ethics, in sports we would use sports ethics or whatever-ethics, ....so in the case of an MMI ethical scenario of any variable type, the ethics introduced, whether medical, business or otherwise will always have a "more correct" answer as it pertains to the individual, time, place, circumstances...further, as you pointed out you must back up your assertions. To do so requires a step wise reflection or reasoning based on established personal rules, beliefs, values...or otherwise...ethics.

 

"Again, there is hardly a 'most correct' answer."..."Now, mind you, there are Canadian standards in biomedical ethics... So you'd want to be careful not to say that you'd do something that would break the law...".....so there is a more correct (literal) answer then? Sorry, i just had to throw that back as you contradict yourself...or i misunderstood.

 

Just the same this is a good discussion.

 

Dumbtit,

 

True, I wasn't very clear either. If you're talking about abortion, stem cell research, euthanasia... these huge topics don't have a "most correct" answer. However, questions about consent and competence, for example, would require that you have some understanding of biomedical ethics, if these were to come up in a med interview.

 

To be very general, though, the interviewer is less concerned with your actual opinion or answer... they are much more interested in how you arrived at your conclusion.

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"they are much more interested in how you arrived at your conclusion"

 

Could you expand with an example?

 

Please!

 

:)

 

Haha, I'm not sure of what you're asking for!

 

You read the question, you walk in, you state A because of B, C, & D. You acknowledge the importance of E & F, but weigh the importance of B, C & D as greater.

 

Something like that? Haha, if you give me a hypothetical question I can offer my opinion on the matter, and then explain why. Then, I'd point out that my explanation as to "why" I think what I think is more important than my opinion or conclusion itself.

 

Talking like this is dizzying. :)

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Haha, I'm not sure of what you're asking for!

 

You read the question, you walk in, you state A because of B, C, & D. You acknowledge the importance of E & F, but weigh the importance of B, C & D as greater.

 

Something like that? Haha, if you give me a hypothetical question I can offer my opinion on the matter, and then explain why. Then, I'd point out that my explanation as to "why" I think what I think is more important than my opinion or conclusion itself.

 

Talking like this is dizzying. :)

 

I like being dizzy...its fun!

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